BBP 034 : How to Choose the Best Salon Software for Your Beauty Business

We’re back with another much-talked about topic in the beauty industry whether in FB groups, forums, seminars or workshops, it’s as hot a topic today as it has ever been . . . “What is THE BEST or THE RIGHT Salon Software?” I have been working over 20 years in the beauty industry and I have helped hundreds of clients find the “best” or the “right” software for their salon, spa or clinic. I have placed the word best and right because there is actually no software that is best among the rest or even the right one for everyone! It actually depends on your unique requirements when it comes to  which salon software works best for you and your beauty business. Just because it works for someone you know, it will not necessarily work for YOUR business as well. Also, don’t be tricked into buying just because of a fancy marketing ad as you might regret spending a lot of money on a salon software that doesn’t really help you at all. The point of having a salon software system is to allow you to save time and money, but if it’s your first time purchasing software OR if you have made a mistake before and want to make sure you get it right this time… then you are in the right place! I will be sharing my Definitive Guide to Choosing The Right Salon Software For You which I’ve developed over years of doing this and it’s the exact one I use for my clients when looking for the salon software that is best for them. Plus, I have created a fantastic checklist to get you off to the right start including some standard requests and things to think about which you can DOWNLOAD HERE   The Definitive Guide to Choosing The Right Salon Software For You (05:13)   MUST HAVE’S & NICE TO HAVE’S (9:06) “Prioritize all your requirements and once you have all your requirements listed and organized in to somewhat logical groupings, you now need to categorize them as “Must Have’s” and “Nice to Have’s”. This will further help you make a decision about which software to choose.” CHECK YOUR INTERNET SPEEDS (9:51) “We need to help you make a clear decision between Online (or Cloud based salon software) and Off Line (or Locally Installed salon software) options. A key deciding factor in whether you are free to choose between these options will be your internet connection.” To know more about this topic, check out this episode: Episode 5 of The Beauty Business podcast – “Your Salon Software Questions Answered BUDGET (12:38) “Your decision about software shouldn’t solely come down to price, but price is always going to be a factor. Don’t just go for the cheapest option and don’t simply pluck a number out of the air . . . remember also that there is not just the initial outlay to consider. ” RESEARCH (17:26) “There are A LOT of spa, salon and clinic software systems out there and to save you EVEN more time I have put together another BONUS for you. Check out at least 7 systems and I want you to pick at least 5 of these companies to contact directly to get more information. Remember to base your choices on your list of requirements and not just which one has the fanciest feature list or promotional video.” Click here for the list of Salon Software Companies! SHORTLIST (18:50) “Based on what you find out by email or during your phone conversation, I want you to come up with a shortlist of at least 3 software products.” DEMO (19:52) “Now you have your shortlist you need to contact each company either by email, phone or through a contact form on their websi...